Predictions: Who will win in NEPSAC boys Small School quarterfinals?

Everyone thinks hard work, dedication and effort pair the best with postseason hockey. I'm here to tell you that's not the case.

What pairs best with the postseason? Predictions, of course.

Ah yes. Predictions. There's nothing better than trying to predict the future. Last season, I went 13-8 in the NEPSAC playoffs.

The Small School Tournament has some interesting matchups and I will try my best (and probably succeed) in picking each game.

Let's dive in.

No. 1 Rivers vs. No. 8 Proctor

Proctor was a last-minute addition to the NEPSAC postseason after taking down Kimball Union, 2-1, in the first round of the Lakes Region playoffs.

Senior goalie Caden Pasqualone will take the ice at Rivers as one of the hottest netminders in the region. He had a 27-save shutout to beat Brewster on Feb. 21, made 42 saves to beat KUA and then made 33 stops on 35 shots in a 3-1 loss to Holderness.

Still, Rivers is Rivers. It's a young team, but the Red Wings have firepower up front that's hard to stop. Head coach Freddy Meyer's team has won six of their last seven games.

Prediction: Rivers wins, 4-2.

BOYS BRACKETS: Elite 8 Tournament | Large School Tournament | Small School Tournament

No. 2 St. Mark's vs. No. 7 Pomfret

Again, the strong goalie comes into play. Pomfret senior Beau Johnson has been strong lately. Within the last two weeks, he made 32 saves to tie Frederick Gunn, 2-2, and hung in there for 40 saves in a 2-1 OT loss to Avon Old Farms.

But there's something deeper at play with St. Mark's. The Lions were taken down as the No. 1 seed in the Small School Tournament last year. Even with a roster that isn't as deep as last season's, the core of seniors Andrew Gibbons (South Kingstown, R.I.), Austin Borggaard (Worcester, Mass.) and Calvin Beard (Southboro, Mass.) isn't going to let a first-round exit happen again.

Prediction: St. Mark's wins, 5-2.

No. 3 Canterbury vs. No. 6 Tilton

Tilton struggled with good teams all season. In the eight games the Rams played against teams in the NEPSAC playoffs, the Rams were outscored 49 to 20.

Canterbury had a rough final month of the regular season, but that's just because the schedule was so hard. Berkshire, Cushing, Frederick Gunn, Kent and Avon Old Farms accounted for the losses. Sure, it proved the Saints were far from an Elite 8 team.

But that doesn't matter. This is the Small School Tournament.

Canterbury has a top-10 offense in the region, boasting strong veteran talents like postgrads Jackson Powers (Woburn, Mass.) and Duncan Stewart, seniors Ryan Stratton, Sam Ciappa and Jake Stevens, and junior Ryan Lucarelli. There's just too much scoring to pick against Canterbury.

Prediction: Canterbury wins, 7-3.

No. 4 Frederick Gunn vs. No. 5 Groton

Frederick Gunn was a team inside my top 10 at one point in the season. The Highlanders looked to be destined for an Elite 8 run but then came a 2-7-2 stretch at midseason and that was gone.

But head coach Craig Badger's team turned it around in the second half, going 10-3-3 over the final 16 games of the season and moving into a host position in the Small School Tournament.

Most of this Frederick Gunn core — seniors Alex LoGuercio (Monroe, Conn.), Mark Pizzo (Redding, Conn.) and Jacob Rothman, along with junior Luke Calabria — was around for last season's blown 3-1, third-period lead in the Small School championship game. It's a motivated group to get back and right last season's wrong.

BOYS PREVIEWS: Elite 8 Tournament | Large School Tournament | Small School Tournament

While Groton is nowhere near as stacked offensively, the Zebras do hold the advantage in net with senior Ethan Ramonetti. Head coach Bill Riley will need his netminder at his very best to get by Frederick Gunn.

Prediction: Frederick Gunn wins, 3-1.

NEHJ video: Breaking down the NEPSAC boys brackets